CFP®-certified financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Carlsbad, CA

Edward Creed is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 37 years of industry experience. He has held roles within Ameriprise and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2005. He holds a Series 63 designation. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a specialized Premier Retirement Income service focused on retirement income planning through written recommendations and ongoing advice. The firm integrates proprietary research and algorithmic tools with a selective investment approach influenced by its affiliated product ecosystem.

Andrew Sontag is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Carlsbad Wealth Advisory Group, Inc. since 2008. He holds a Series 66 designation and works out of Carlsbad, CA. Carlsbad Wealth Advisory Group offers discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth households, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations. The firm’s investment approach centers on asset allocation using primarily exchange-traded funds (ETFs), focusing on low expense ratios, internal diversification, and liquidity, while managing all client assets in-house.

John Steccato is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience with Axa and in education, including San Diego State University and Carlsbad High School. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a fixed business activity unrelated to investments. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse clientele including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional entities. The firm offers financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs, operating through a dual registration as an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Michael Sorenson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Carlsbad, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He previously worked at The Wealth Advisors from 2013 to 2020. Outside of financial advising, he sponsors an educational website dedicated to the art of his late brother, Don Sorenson, whose paintings are sold through an independent gallery. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting services, utilizing model portfolios, research, and various investment strategies to meet diverse client needs.

Todd Blackburn is a financial advisor with Integrated Advisors Network LLC in Carlsbad, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Madison Avenue Securities, Vintage West Capital Management, and Mutual Securities. Blackburn also manages The Burns-Blackburn Group, an insurance agency providing various life insurance and annuity products. Integrated Advisors Network is an SEC-registered multi-team investment adviser offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a range of investment approaches and frequently uses third-party sub-advisers while providing ongoing portfolio oversight and rebalancing.

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management. Outside of financial advising, he has experience in the lawn care business with Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate-planning services, utilizing a range of investment strategies and managing both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.